Niger Delta
WBW: Delta Tasks Mothers To Demystify Breast-milk Myths
Delta State Government has tasked nursing mothers and caregivers to shun myths about breast-milk, particularly the first “Yellow-milk– Colostrum”, by supporting its intake and exclusive breastfeeding for six months to protect their babies.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojame, gave the charge at the ground finale of the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), organised in partnership with other stakeholders to sensitise mothers on the importance of breastfeeding their babies in Asaba on Friday.
The Tide’s source reports that the year’s WBW has as its theme, “Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Support System”.
At the Grand Finale, held at Umuaji Primary Health Centre, Oshimili South Local Government Area, Asaba, Delta, Onojame said the theme’s focus was to promote the enabling environment that helps women to breast feed, including support in the community, workplace, with adequate protection in government policies and laws, including sharing information on benefits of breastfeeding.
The Commissioner, represented by the Executive Director, Delta State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Paul Yinkori, said the call has become necessary to improve the breastfeeding status in the state.
According to Onojame, Delta State exclusive breastfeeding status rate is 27 per cent as at the 2023/2024 rating, adding that this is below the national status of 28.8 per cent which is lesser than the World Health Organisation target of 50 per cent.
“This implies that in Delta State, 27 infants out of every 100 infants aged 0 to 6 months only, are exclusively breastfed in the state. So, a lot more need to be done”, he said.
The Commissioner noted that the State Government was fully in support of the global policies on breastfeeding and urged for collective effort of all to attain the WHO target of 50 per cent exclusive breastfeeding by mothers and caregivers in the state.
He said for the state to attain the global target, “the approach is to demystify myths about breast milk, improve awareness on the importance of breastfeeding, implement enabling policies such as early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
“Also important is exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continuing complementary breastfeeding up to two years of age. Implemention of six months maternity leave for working mothers and encourage breastfeeding support groups.
“I urge you all to continue to support and to encourage appropriate and adequate breastfeeding for our young. Together we shall raise healthier more intelligent and better leaders of tomorrow.”
On her part, the State Desk Nutrition Officer, Ms. Ejovi Ebikaboene, said the gathering was to mark the WBW and to sensitise the women and general public on the need to nurture the young babies exclusively on breast milk at the early hours of birth to six months of age, no water, other foods.
She said, “Breastfeeding is an age long feeding practise that exhibits how God love and care nurtures us into good health and longevity.”
She noted that when the child leaves the comfort of the womb, the bond between mother and child begins with the food-breast milk from the mother’s breast.
“This treasures the baby that he or she is in a safe hands. From this act of love, a bond of trust and love is established between the mother and child”, she said.
According to Ebikaboene, breast milk provides the child with the protection needed to live in the new environment and harmful, toxic disease causing organisms.
“Breast milk”, she said, “contains up to 98 per cent of water, antibodies, antibiotics to immunize the baby against infection, probiotics to build immunity, anti-inflammatory compounds, enzymes to digest all the nutrients to the baby.
“So, let us not only strive to support one another in our Christian journey, we should also prioritize the well-being of our youngest members, our babies by creating a supportive environment where mother feel encouraged to breastfeed their babies exclusively for six months.”
The Coordinator, Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Delta Chapter, Mr. John Ogbeode, who lamented the state statistics, stressed the need for more effort to sensitise the mothers on the importance of breastfeeding their babies.
According to him, available statistics has revealed that malnutrition is on the increase in Nigeria.
He said children between 0 and 5 years of age were victims of malnutrition due to lack of adequate feeding, adding that adequate.
“In Delta, exclusive breastfeeding is rate at 27 per cent; also, available statistics has shown that 20 per cent of our children under five years are stunted; 15.1 per cent are wasted and 19.6 per cent are under weight.
“This shows that the way we feed our children has a great role to play in the health of the children. Every nutrition starts from breastfeeding, once it is wrong from the beginning, then there will be problems.
“This is why we must all support exclusive breastfeeding for six months for our babies to become healthy”, he said.
The source reports that the highpoint of the occasion was the quiz for the mothers on their knowledge about breastfeeding and award to winners.